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Why you should be excited about Kidscreen Summit 2018

The biggest names in animation and entertainment will be descending upon Miami February 12 to 15 for Kidscreen Summit 2018. Held again at the InterContinental Miami hotel, Toon Boom has been there since the beginning. This year, the company will be sending its biggest delegation ever and have two tables to take meetings and launch our latest release. (See more below.)

Kidscreen Summit 2018 is looking to have record-breaking attendance; 2017’s edition saw nearly 2,000 delegates, a 12 percent year-over-year increase. The event is an opportunity to develop businesses and relationships, discuss the market and engage in critical dialogue on issues affecting the industry — particularly relevant in a year of tectonic cultural shifts.

Those hoping to connect with Toon Boom will have the opportunity to meet marketing director George Stamatakos (his first time at the event), plus sales superstars Carlos Ruiz, Bernard Benoit, Daniel Santos, Bradley Kravitz, and co-president and VP sales and marketing, Francois Lalonde. Between them, they are able to speak in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Greek.

Keep reading for the most exciting things happening at Kidscreen Summit 2018.

Toon Boom’s secret is out!Toon Boom will officially launch the latest version of its wildly popular storyboarding software,Storyboard Pro. Responsive to the needs of the industry at a time when storytelling has never been more important and invaluable, Storyboard Pro 6 has a collection of new features that will empower artists do more than ever. Those hoping to explore them will have to either visit the Toon Boom tables at Kidscreen Summit or keep an eye on its blog.

The ABCs of LBGTQ inclusivity.It’s no secret that animation and kids’ content have been slow to adopt LGBTQ+ characters and storylines. However, series like Doc McStuffins, Danger & Eggs and The Loud House have been helping to move the needle. At “Creating LGBTQ-inclusive Content for Kids”, Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, will be joining an esteemed panel including representatives from Disney, PBS KIDS and Nickelodeon to discuss how networks and creators can be more LGBT-inclusive and keep up recent positive momentum.

Are you ready for Gen Z?They’re coming — and no, they’re not Millennials 2.0. Gen Z (those born after 1995) are an entirely unique cohort. In the Kidscreen Summit 2018 kick-off keynote, “The Day the Universe Changed”, TED Talk star and Family Room CEO George Carey will explore this rising generation’s emotional landscape, including their impact on youth media consumption and what strategies kids media players can use to connect with today’s kids and teens.

Spend your morning with Marty Krofft (and David Arquette).Legendary brothers Sid and Marty Krofft are best known as the creators of 1970s series H.R. Pufnstuf and The Land of the Lost. The pair have made a comeback recently with Mut & Stuff (Nickelodeon), Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (Amazon Studios) and Mayim’s WonderLab, hosted by the eponymous actor and star of The Big Bang Theory. Marty Krofft will share his lifetime of experience and development processes at “In Conversation with Marty Krofft: Kids Entertainment Legend”, with the panel moderated by actor David Arquette.

Source: Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.

Geena on gender.Geena Davis is back! The Oscar-winning actress, Kidscreen Summit 2016 keynote speaker, Mensa member, and founder and chair of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender and Media will be discussing gender and diversity in the content development process. At “Marketing to Boys and Girls: New research from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media”, Davis will be sharing fresh findings from her organization focused on how products are marketed to kids through the use of brand mascots and how this affects their perception of male and female roles.

What’s next at Netflix?Netflix established itself as an animation original content creator in 2017. Beyond committing to30 new anime, it also hired Melissa Cobb as its VP of kids and family in September. Through “In Conversation with Melissa Cobb: Netflix VP of Kids & Family”, she will detail how she plans expand the Subscription Video On-Demand (SVOD) platform’s animated series, events and films for G-rated audiences globally.

What are you most excited for at Kidscreen Summit 2018? Let us know in the comments below.